


Trust issues

by Erich



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015), Wonder Woman (2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, Slow Burn, kind of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-03
Updated: 2018-11-26
Packaged: 2019-08-17 05:45:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16510463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Erich/pseuds/Erich
Summary: The woman didn't seem startled, gently closing the tap and fully turning around, her eyes sparkling.Diana. Her name is Diana, Lena suddenly remembered.And she was gorgeous. Godly, even. No wonder Lena Luthor couldn't control herself yesterday as well as she always does. This woman was too beautiful to miss.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, guys. So, this is my first work and English is not my first language. That is in case you needed an explanation (or an excuse). All mistakes are mine, especially the extra commas (I'm from eastern Europe). Hope you can enjoy it anyway. Thank you.

_"My dear sister! It is indescribably hard to write to you, past the great disappointment...."_

_"_ _My dear sister! The depth of my sorrow when I think about you ..."_  
_"My dear sister! With all my love, to see, what path you've taken..."_  
_"My dear sister!"_  
_"My dear..."_

Lena opened her eyes. The bright light from an open window replaced the hum of her brother's words with sharp pain, making her eyes water. She sat abruptly, trying to wipe the tears with the back of her hand. Instantly she felt dizzy and, in the next moment, hangover. Right, she's been drinking the previous night. Trying to get over the pain both in her head and in her eyes she looked around. The good news, it was her apartment. Well, her new apartment in National City she hasn't quite got used to yet. She had minimal furniture in here. Her massive bedroom, for example, consisted of a huge bed and a nightstand. Everything else, like her wardrobe, was embedded into the opposite wall. It could look quite empty in the evening, but now it was full of light, with its floor to ceiling windows, making all the monochromatic shades shine in different color palettes. Lena felt warm beams where they found their way to her pale skin. It was always rather hard to warm her up, so she took this opportunity to be still and keep the warmth for a while. But the Universe clearly had other plans.

She rather felt than heard a slight stirring to her right. It almost made her jump, but the person next to her was just moving in her sleep. A woman was sleeping peacefully right beside her. Lena couldn't see her face, only her bare back and curly dark hair, scattered all over the pillow. From the small of her back and further she was covered with a white sheet, but Lena knew she was naked underneath. She knew that perfectly well because she was the one who undressed her. She still remembered it pretty vividly. They met quite accidentally, in a very much new fancy bar of National City. It was the first time Lena decided to go out and try to have a feel of the city. And also to have a feel of the wine. She really needed that, after not being exploded on the board of spacecraft Venture. The accident has been all over the news, almost everywhere she went. Lena Luthor needed a break. Therefore, preoccupied with the grim thoughts, she was almost knocked off her feet by a clumsy waiter. It didn't happen, though, since a strong hand kept her balanced and out of the way. The said hand belonged to a tall beautiful woman with a concerned pair of brown eyes, not letting go of Lena until she was sure the shorter one was standing properly. The woman saved her, gracefully. Lena Luthor had to pay back with a drink.

_"A curator of antiquities?" Lena raised an eyebrow._  
_"What, do I not look like one?" the woman laughed._  
_They were sitting at a corner table for about 30 minutes already, quite secluded from the rest of the customers. The light was dim just enough to distinctly see each other and to create an intimate setting. It was very complimentary to Lena's companion's red dress and red lipstick, making both darker and deeper color._  
_"Well, I guess I have a different image in my mind," the CEO sighted in defeat._  
_"And what is that?" she asked, playfully._  
_"Not that..." Lena narrowed her eyes, pretending to ponder over it, "Charming."_  
_"Is it?" the stranger erupted with laughter. She laughed so sincerely, so naturally, it was contagious. "I don't know whether to take it as a compliment or as an insult to all curators."_  
_"Definitely first, but I wouldn't try to share my bias with them to check it," Lena retorted with a slight smirk._  
_The woman smiled broadly. They sat in a comfortable silence for a while, sipping their vine, glancing at each other from time to time. She was very easy to talk to, the conversation flowing freely. Also, she flirted so brazenly and heartily, it was affecting Lena's ability to build walls. And why would she? The CEO didn't remember the last time she let herself relax like that in these few months. It was nice to have that, at least for a night._  
_The stranger broke her little self-reflection._  
_"And what about you?"_  
_"Hmm?"_  
_"What is your passion?" the woman said, smiling coyly._  
_Well, that wasn't a hard one, but it still made Lena feel lost for a second. She could say she loved her job, but she still got hurt from where her work puts her. It was, perhaps, right to describe it as something she was passionate about, but hard to call it as something she loved, Lena suddenly thought. What she loved was very complicated and usually brought a lot of pain and suffering. And the nightmares._  
_"Engineering," she said._  
_"Huh."_  
_"What?"_  
_"I had a different image in my mind," she answered, smiling like a Cheshire cat._  
_"Oh, really, you had," Lena rolled her eyes._  
_"Sorry, couldn't help it," the stranger bit her lip, trying not to smile, "Why engineering?"_  
_Oh boy._  
_"If put it simply, I like to know how things work or make them work," if that isn't an elusive answer, she didn't know what is. "Constructing devices to create a solution to a problem is a riddle I like to solve," she concluded._  
_"I can understand that," she said, somewhat pensive._  
_Lena took a sip of her glass._  
_"I can make a guess. You, I suppose, like to know how things used to work."_  
_"You could say that. I have a liking for interesting cultural heritage assets."_  
_"Well, isn't that fun," Lena teased._  
_The woman opened her mouth in a faux indignation and nudged her in the forearm._  
_"Oh stop it with you offending history and people who appreciate it."_  
_"It's just too easy and too entertaining," she laughed, "I had a horrible history teacher at my university. Might be that too."_  
_The woman shot a glare at her and shook her head as if in disbelief. But her lips were curved in a charming smile, which dispelled the whole austere effect._  
_"But do tell why it's fun for you," Lena added softly._  
_"Well, as for one, let's take Golden Pectoral from_ Terrsyla _. Golden Pectoral, or breastplate as you may call it. I believe you have no idea what I am talking about?"_  
_"No," Lena shook her head, "Though I would like to hear you out. I have a feeling you are more interesting than my history teacher."_  
_"Just a feeling?"_  
_"A little one."_  
_The brunette bit her lip, before proceeding._  
_"_ Terrsyla _is an island in the Atlantics, no one heard of much so far. And there's been no treasure found in there until now. The_ pectoral is _made of an interesting fusion of gold and something else, a metal, never met before. It makes the breastplate much sturdier, much lighter, which could be close to impossible to work with since it was dated 1078 B.C. Makes you think about what humans might have been capable of such a long time ago. Of things we don't know yet."_  
_Or, what kind of aliens could have been visiting Earth since the beginning of time. But Lena decided to omit this remark._  
_"What story does it tell you, then?"_  
_Diana took a thought._  
_"It intricately shows the connection between cosmos and nature, intertwining them all together as if they are inseparable. There are humans depicted there, being a part of the ornament. Interestingly enough, humans are showed repeatedly in different shapes and sizes, while everything else, like nature and celestial bodies, has patterns. Whoever made it, believed in the order of life. However, depicting humans in an inconsistent way, the creator made a point concerning our part in it."_  
_"Our contradictory nature?"_  
_"Well, that's a guess. I'm still working on the piece," the curator said, shrugging slightly, "I'll tell you when I'm done," she said much quieter. It sounded more like a promise than a flirtatious remark. Lena took a slightly shuddered breath._  
_"But, to conclude it all, yes, I enjoy the story behind each asset," the woman went on, louder. "Of how they can disclose the history of mankind. It is also quite a riddle." she stopped for a moment, then continued, "I guess you could say I like to know how people work," she grinned slyly._  
_Lena smiled. People worked in mysterious ways, and once Lena could swear she knew them. Or some of them, at least. It was a riddle she didn't like to solve because the answers most of the times weren't helping with the problem. Instead, creating a lot of new ones. She looked around trying to pull the conversation away from the philosophical tone._  
_"Then you've picked the wrong place for it. Unless you're interested in the culture of business people. But I have to warn you - there's not much to disclose."_  
_Red lips of a taller brunette smiled, showing teeth. That, combined with a cocked head, made her look devilishly attractive._  
_"Alas, I cannot agree. I find some people here quite... interesting," she said, looking directly into the Luthor's eyes. Lena smiled more widely._

The only thing Lena didn't remember was the stranger's name. As a rule, Luthor didn't like to have close romantic relationships, but she also didn't like to be unnecessarily rude. Yet, somehow, the name just slipped her mind. Not being able to solve this riddle now, she decided to deal with the dryness in her mouth, planning on drinking gallons of water as soon as she reaches the kitchen. She definitely shouldn't have drunk the last glass of wine the other night. But the beautiful stranger, she remembered, was quite keen on the wine as well, making it hard to keep up. Not that Lena really tried to, but it made it hard to be really attentive. Plus, the stranger's lips were quite distracting as well.

Lena didn't drink gallons but emptied a half-liter bottle. And made sure to pop some pills for her hangover. It could be considered as a breakfast, she thought to herself with a half-smile, given the absence of food in her fridge. Basically, all she had was a big amount of water bottles and some eggs. All thanks to Jess, if not for her, it'd be completely empty. She should really think of buying some vegetables, or at least an oatmeal. But, even living here for a short while, she still hasn't unpacked maybe more than a half of her belongings. And it wasn't like she had a lot of those. But it just... was easier this way. Somehow.

Going back to her bedroom she also grabbed a bottle and pills for her bedmate. Lena wasn't sure if she wanted to wake her up right away, even though soon enough she had to go to the office. Hangover or not, she still had a very busy day, with many issues ahead. So first, shower.

With the first splash of hot water, her headache started to subside. The one thing that hasn't left her mind, was her dream. Well, dreams. Lex kept showing up from time to time, reciting his letters to her. Sometimes his words were angry and cold, sometimes the tone changed, and it was just like he used to tell her the bed-time stories. She didn't know which was worse. She stopped reading the letters after fifth night of waking up in horror, Lex's words buzzing in her ears, her nightgown drenched in cold sweat. Although it didn't seem to help much. Neither drinking yourself to sleep nor working until you fall dead or even fully exhausting yourself physically and emotionally by having sex all night, apparently, wasn't helping. What's next, then?

Stepping out of her bathroom, wrapped up in a towel, Lena found her bedroom empty. No woman from the last night, no water bottle. The pills laid untouched on the nightstand. However, based on muffled noises coming from the ajar door, the kitchen wasn't vacant. After putting on her silk robe, Lena indeed found the stranger in the kitchen, facing away from her, standing nearby the sink, filling a glass of water. She wasn't naked now but clad in her lingerie. She was rather tall and slim, and her hair looked like a shining mane, tangled a bit. The empty water bottle was standing on the counter, but the stranger seemed to be thirsty for more. Biting her lip, Lena cleared her throat.  
"You know I have a full fridge of those. Much better than from the tap."  
The woman didn't seem startled, gently closing the tap and fully turning around, her eyes sparkling.  
Diana. Her name is Diana, Lena suddenly remembered.  
And she was gorgeous. Godly, even. No wonder Lena Luthor couldn't control herself yesterday as well as she always does. This woman was too beautiful to miss.

_"Careful, Diana, there is a box somewhere here," she whispered into Diana's lips while dragging her into the bedroom. The apartment was big enough to encounter some obstacles in such a situation, and she didn't want them to fall. At least not without a bed to fall onto._  
_"Are you sure the apartment is yours?" she said in a husky voice, ably maneuvering them while switching from Lena's earlobe to her jawline. If Lena was a bit soberer, she would worry that there was going to be a mark, but her partner seemed to be careful enough to not leave any. She was about to chuckle in the response, but at the same time, Diana pressed her against the bedroom door, her hand hooking Lena's thigh around her hip, her lips finding Luthor's pulse point. The chuckle was drowned out by a moan. Diana's lips were on hers back again, her hand snaking to the small of her back and higher, her thigh pressed into Lena, sending shivers into the CEO's spine. Only when Lena's knees almost buckled she realized she had to get an upper hand of the situation. Biting Diana's lower lip in one brisk movement she opened the door and dragged the brunette by her waist. Now Luthor was making the other retreat. It was a tricky thing to do considering the height difference, that is why she was more than pleased when Diana's legs hit her bed, making the taller sit down on it. The stranger had only raised an eyebrow at the change of dynamics but didn't argue, pulling Lena on her lap. The CEO put her hands on the woman's shoulders, finding balance. Her legs were trapping the taller brunette, knees sinking into the mattress. Diana seemed to be ok with such a position, though her demeanor changed and she pulled Lena into a gentle kiss, way slower than the previous ones. It did things to Lena, making the whole experience very sensual. She was drowning in it, letting go. Every touch, every puff of breath burned her skin in the most delicious way. Diana only stopped for a second to whisper a question._  
_"Are you ok?"_  
_Lena softly chuckled in response._  
_"More than. Will be even better if you take this dress off me."_  
_Diana smiled. Lena didn't have to wait too long. Didn't have to wait too long before Diana's fingers were traсing Lena's inner thighs. Didn't have to wait too long before her lips were counting Diana's ribs. Didn't have to wait too long before she felt tendrils of slightly curly hair caressing her torso while making their way down. Didn't have to wait too long before that devilish tongue licked all the way up to her breasts and stayed there. Didn't have to wait too long before this long beautiful body was bent like a bow, ecstatic. Diana didn't make her wait. At least not for too long._

Yes, Lena definitely remembered.

"I didn't want to impose. And it's not that bad." the woman said with a small sip. "Good morning."  
"Good morning," repeated Lena, carefully approaching the kitchen counter, resting her hip on the side of it, “You should take those pills. Trust me, it’s just for your head. It would be a pure wonder if you haven’t had a headache by now.”  
“Pills newer really work, but thank you. In my case food is the best remedy,” she said, carefully placing the glass on a counter. Every each movement of hers was elegant and precise, but Diana seemed relaxed. The lazy smile wasn't leaving her lips.  
"Well, feel free to scour my fridge. Although, embarrassingly enough, I can't really offer you any decent food except coffee."  
"Coffee isn't food." Diana said, seriously, "I am very amused how big of an obsession it is in this country," she chuckled. Now Lena noticed again, that, indeed, she had an accent. She forgot to ask where Diana was originally from, being preoccupied with flirting. She couldn't quite place its origin, but definitely enjoyed the sound of it.  
"It's food of hardworking people. Don't you drink coffee in ... France?" Lena started remembering some other facts about the stranger she briefly learned the other night.  
"Oui," Diana smiled. "But only coffee for breakfast - not healthy." she continued, opening the fridge. Regarding the insides of it, she shook her head disapprovingly, "And very sad. In my homeland that is also called a peptic ulcer."  
"Which is...?"  
"Bad."  
"No, I meant your homeland."  
"Greece," Diana said, with a little delay. The tone was different, less chipper this time.  
“Huh, I might have guessed.”  
“You were trying too?” inquired the woman teasingly, peeking over her shoulder.  
“You said you lived in France, but the accent is not quite a match. Very beautiful though.”  
“Mine or French?” Diana asked innocently, fridge already abandoned, her attention is fully on Luthor.  
“Both,” Lena felt flustered for a moment, quickly composing herself, “You do sound beautiful,” she added, her tone deeper this time. She suddenly felt underdressed, her guest all the more so. Diana bit her lip, scrutinizing Lena.  
“You sound very beautiful too, for that matter,” she said.  
Lena laughed, averting her eyes from the tall woman. She felt awkward and tingly, like in the sixth grade.  
"Well, thank you, I suppose," she said, grinning. She would love to just keep bantering but had to compose herself if she wanted to get somewhere today. So, the CEO had to get to the business, "Also, the shower is yours. And if you can make something out of whatever is in the fridge, feel free to try. Wouldn't like you to have that horrid ulcer, just because you've encountered a coffee addict." she smirked, turning on the coffee machine as if to make a point. Now Lena was much closer to the curly-haired woman and could see each wrinkle around her eyes when she smiled. Wrong move.  
"You're offering breakfast?"  
"Can't call it an offering, the breakfast you have to make yourself," Lena pointed out, feeling the heat coming from the body of the stranger. Diana was definitely underdressed. And observant, since she just caught Lena roaming her body with her eyes. The CEO continued as if nothing had happened.  
Focus.  
"Unfortunately, I'm not much of a cook as of late. And, I got to get to work soon, so ..." she trailed off, signaling, that she still had to show the woman out sometime soon. Diana nodded.  
"So, as far as I can tell, is that you saying there won't be a second date?"  
Diana didn't seem hurt, just curious. Though the CEO felt a little pang, even knowing that technically it was how she wanted their encounter to end. She had so much on her plate right now, it felt suffocating. Lena couldn't even imagine dragging someone else in it all. Especially not this beautiful person.  
"Yes. I am not looking forward to having any dates at all whatsoever. I am sorry if I led you on. I couldn't help it, you're... you're wonderful," she smiled, making an eye contact. Diana rolled her eyes, but her lips grew wider, mimicking Lena "I... In another life, I would ask you out on every date," she finished with a heavy breath. She has to do it properly.  
"Do not worry," the taller woman shook her head, "You didn't. I am leaving the city soon, therefore I reckon we are on the same page. But you do know how to break a woman's heart in a most charming and gentle way," she chuckled quietly.  
Lena bit her lip, internally relieved.  
"Thank you, I suppose. However, I doubt anyone else would appreciate it."  
"I do," Diana winked then her face went all business "How much time do you have?"  
Lena looked at her quizzically, though answered, mimicking her demeanor.  
"About an hour. Then, duty calls."  
"Perfect," Diana said, stepping back, creating some distance between them, "How do you like your eggs, then?"  
Lena shook her head.  
"It's ok, you don't have to. I don't need breakfast, but thank you."  
"Mm. You know it is considered as rude not to take the offered food where I'm from."  
"Oh, is it now?" Lena chuckled incredulously.  
"Cross my heart," Diana said, even making a gesture on her chest as if drawing a cross. "That what happens when you don't listen carefully to your history lessons."  
Lena chewed on her lip, restraining a cackle. It was too easy to flirt with this woman, even when they have established that it isn't going anywhere. She didn't feel any pressure, didn't feel bad, it was what it was. So it seemed like she really had no choice.  
"Scrambled," Lena said in defeat.  
"Scrambled it is. But first I need to put something on, or else you will keep staring at me. And you're the one who has to be at work soon," added the woman nonchalantly, leaving the kitchen. For the first time, Lena had no comeback, and she was ok with that. She just let this stranger stay the morning, cook her breakfast, and kiss her goodbye forever.  
It was the best morning she had in months.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fluff ends now

The day promised to be beautiful. Lena was relaxed, well-rested, energized and nothing seemed to ruin that. Alas.  
She was a little late, so the trouble waited for her outside the office. Two reporters, in one of whom she recognized her least favorite - Clark Kent - were already throwing questions, which were pure accusations if you asked her.  
"There was an emergency regarding the planning for a ceremony I'm holding tomorrow. I'm renaming my family's company, and I had to cancel." she still hasn't quite got over the fact she almost got exploded, and now she had to explain why it wasn't her, who did the deed.  
"Ah, lucky," Kent wasn't even trying to cover his incredulous tone. Points for honesty.  
"Lucky is Superman saving the day" she brushed him off with a chuckle, trying not to roll her eyes.  
"Not something one expects a Luthor to say" and again, the same tone. Here we go.  
"Right, and Supergirl was there too," intervened the girl. Lena briefly studied her from the top down. The girl seemed shy and out of place, her clothes too light and umm... cute? for the occasion. But somehow it was quite endearing. Who was she, exactly?  
"And who are you, exactly?"  
"Um... I'm Kara Danvers. I'm not with the Daily Planet. I'm with Catco magazine. Sort of."  
That explained the outfit and the attitude. Lena had to admit, the girl's goofy appearance made her feel less tense when answering the "Luthor" questions from Kent, but it didn't mean she could do it all day. So she sat down to make her point.  
"Can we just speed this interview up? Just ask me what you want to ask, Mr. Kent. Did I have anything to do with the Venture explosion?"  
The forwardness seemed to confound him for a second.  
"Did you?"  
God, he was ridiculous.  
"You wouldn't be asking me if my last name was Smith."  
"Ah, but it's not. It's Luthor."  
But persistent. The two could play this game.  
"Some steel under that Kansas wheat," she drawled. He seemed unaffected. She considered her answer for a second. Lena had to make these reporters understand, otherwise, they will end up going back and forth with the taunts. "It wasn't always. I was adopted when I was four," she caught the gaze of the CatCo reporter. "And the person who made me feel most welcome in the family was Lex. He made me proud to be a Luthor."  
_"My dear sister..."_ the words emerged from the depth of her conscious. Suddenly, she couldn't handle looking at those reporters anymore, afraid that her nightmares would reflect through her eyes. But she continued nevertheless.  
"And then he went on his reign of terror in Metropolis. Declared war on Superman. Committed unspeakable crimes."  
She remembered how crazy he was closer to the end. It was hard to even look at him. He was pure energy, that what he was during that time. But it was wearing him out. He was always hard to keep up with, let along have in one's life for long, but his obsessive behavior towards Superman absorbed him completely, making him fail to control his impulses or common sense. Making him a stranger. She turned, determined.  
"When Superman put Lex in jail, I vowed to take back my family's company. To rename it L-Corp," she turned on the screen. "Make it a force for good." her logo glimmered on the display, "I'm just a woman trying to make a name for herself outside of her family. Can you understand that?"  
There was silence. It was unlikely, that Kent would empathize at any point, but now he had no choice other than taking the flash drive she offered. They had nothing on her. She actually hoped they would succeed in their investigation since she was the one who nearly got into a spacecraft accident. And, after all, Lena just wanted to help.  
However, if she thought that the reporters were the pinnacle of her problems, she was very much wrong.

"Should be a smooth flight Mss Luthor"  
The helicopter blades rang in her ears, to the beat of her heart. Should be. But she hated flying, nevertheless. Statistically, it's the safest way to travel, but still. No statistic can help you when you are a sister of the most notorious criminal in the country. No wonder she was instantly attacked while being up in the air. The drones were shooting nonstop and the helicopter was swaying sideways. Her pilot passed out, leaving her helpless in the metal box, which was quickly losing altitude. Couldn't they just try killing her somewhere on the ground, for a change? That was too much for one day.  
She was saved by the Supers, of course. Supergirl literally caught her chopper in the air, to prevent from crashing. Maybe, the hero was the only one flying object Lena didn't hate.  
"What the hell was that?"

Somebody wanted her dead, and she had a clue of who that was. If she were entirely honest, she didn't want to think too much into it. That was completely stupid, but she knew deep down to which conclusions she'd come. The assumption that it is Lex was the most apparent. Who else would be so persistent in doing it, or have such resources, even being in prison. He was able to send her letters; of course, he could send the bullets in her way. But the part of her wasn't able to accept that he would actually kill her. Harm her, yes, emotionally, physically, yes, but kill her? The thought of it terrified her. Terrified how liberating she felt, letting herself think of it as true. How relieved she would feel without the guilt, hiding behind the fact that her brother cannot be saved. She couldn't think about that now, otherwise, she'd explode.

Now, Lena Luthor was sitting in her office, late in the evening, going over her tomorrow's speech, sipping water. She was still shaken from the previous events, but she couldn't cancel the ceremony. Whoever was trying to kill her, she will not be able to stop them anyway. But they won't stop her either. So she sat in her chair, shoes kicked off, one hand in her hair, supporting her head, another lightly touching the glass. She was going over and over the text, memorizing it. Miscommunication and misunderstanding were her bigger enemies so far, so she was making sure that each word had a purpose. Lena was about to have another sip when she heard some shuffling outside.  
That was coming from her balcony.  
Without a moment of hesitation, she redirected her hand from the glass to a hidden gun under the table. Lena Luthor was no fool to not keep one nearby.

Two things happened at once. Lena leaped from her chair, holding the gun pointed directly at the balcony door, while Superman, behind the said door, was about to knock on the glass. They both froze for a second. Lena slowly exhaled, the gun still pointed at the Kryptonian. Superman put his hands up in the air, which would be a quite comical situation if Lena wasn't already not in a mood for today. A Luthor pulling a gun on a Super. What a headline.

Shaking a bit, she finally lowered the gun. Superman did the same with his hands. Trying to restore normal breathing, she looked closely at her intruder. He was the same as she's remembered. His posture determined, his gaze steady, his chin up high and his chest thrown out, showing the world a symbol of "hope". He was looking at her with a questioning look, implying to let him in. Behind him was another figure, probably Supergirl. For a second Lena considered ignoring them both and going back to her speech. Superman was the last person she wanted to deal with right now, and even if she was grateful to Supergirl, she had too much of it today. She went back to her desk, not to ignore the heroes, unfortunately, but to put her shoes on. She was going to preserve as much composure as she could, and putting her hills back on was a step number one.

"You don't have an appointment," she noticed coldly, opening the door and turning back to place herself at the desk.  
"Sorry for the late visit, but it is important," she heard him saying.  
"Of course," she exhaled, almost letting her fatigue to show. The CEO turned off her tablet with her written speech, meaning to put it away in her bag. She finally glanced at her guests, poorly lit in the dim light of her office illumination system. When she actually saw who was the person behind Superman, she almost dropped the tablet.  
It wasn't Supergirl, first of all. The visitor never had close-ups on the news or in the magazines so far, however, Lena wouldn't confuse this costume with anything else, because, second of all, it was Wonder Woman. She was clad in her metal armor, the pair of bracelets on both of her arms, the golden tiara shining in her hair. The attire was unmistakable. That was their world hero. She didn't wear any weapon, except the famous golden lasso, attached to her side. But it wasn't the fact, that Lena was standing in the presence of a demigoddess, that made the woman almost lose her footing.  
Third of all, it was Diana. Her stranger Diana from the other night and this morning.  
Lena Luthor hardly ever lets herself involuntarily show an emotion inside her office walls, but she had a rough day, she was tired, and this all was too much. She blankly stared at the woman. She had the same curly hair, not tangled from sleep this time, but hanging like locks of silky thread down her shoulders. Same olive skin Lena's dug her nails in, same beautiful eyes, which were previously looking at her mostly half-lidded, same curve of the lips, which Lena was kissing just this morning. The morning, which felt like an eternity ago until now. Wonder Woman was looking back at her with a look Lena couldn't decipher. If she had to, she would say that it was very close to shock as well. Lena felt nauseous, the reality slipping away from her. She didn't even know where to start with the analysis of the situation. Was she hallucinating, was it some kind of trick to mess with her, or was it all a big, twisted coincidence because this day intended to beat the record in being fucked up?  
"Is everything okay, Miss Luthor?" Superman asked in confusion, snapping her back to reality. She thought it was the first time she heard something resembling concern in his tone. Lena swallowed, and tore off her eyes from the woman, busying herself with removing her tablet into her bag. She had to pull herself together. She is a Luthor, after all.  
"Just a long day. Besides, not every day you get a chance to meet Wonder Woman. It's a pleasure," Lena said with a polite nod, not quite looking at the demigoddess.  
"Glad to meet you, Lena Luthor," the woman said, with only a hint of her Greek accent. Lena almost flinched. If she wasn't convinced that it was Diana by the looks, she was definitely assured now. Out of the corner of her eye, Lena saw that the demigoddess was trying to catch her gaze, but the CEO made sure to avert her eyes. She looked sternly at Superman.  
"However, the question is, to what do I owe such pleasure?"  
"We are trying to find the people behind the attempts of your assassination," Superman started. "We found some information, and would like to share it, in order to locate the killer and whoever hired him," Kryptonian came closer, retrieving a picture from... wherever he was keeping it in that costume of his. He placed it on the table. The man in the picture was unfamiliar.  
"John Corben. International assassin for hire. Do you recognize the man?"  
Lena looked closely again, but she knew the answer already.  
"No. Never seen him."  
"He might have been responsible for putting the bomb in Venture, under the seat 23B."  
Her seat. Lena took a deep breath.  
"Well, good to hear you believe that I wasn't behind the explosion."  
"We believe you," Superman said without changing his tone, "But we need to trust you."  
Lena raised her eyebrows. What was that supposed to mean? Trust her? Her life was in danger and here he was, deciding whether he can trust her or not. She couldn't deal with her brother's exploits and Supermen's suspicions at the same time.  
"I helped you put my own brother under the bars, wouldn't that help to obtain your trust?" she said sharply.  
"He sent you letters," Superman replied, folding his hands. "The letters, Miss Luthor, you haven't mentioned about."  
Oh, so he knew about the letters. Shocker.  
"I would give you all the letters if I currently had them. However, I regret to inform you, that my brother didn't put in them any information regarding nothing but me, being a traitorous sister."  
"I know."  
Lena looked at him appraisingly.  
"Then I do not see a problem."  
"The problem is that you hid them."  
"More like burned them, but who cares about the semantics. So you knew about the letters, but you're disappointed that I didn't bring them to you. You know perfectly well, that the letters had no value to you, I know it perfectly well, that is why they belonged in the fireplace. Now, where are you getting at with all this?"  
Supermen briefly looked at Wonder Woman before continuing.  
"I want to trust you," Superman sighed irritably, looking directly at her. "And I need to know for sure if I can."  
Lena looked at him quizzically. They had asked her all the questions they needed, checked her alibi, god, she even gave them all the extra information she had. What else would Superman want her to do?  
Then her eyes wondered to his companion. She didn't ask herself before what was the purpose of Wonder Woman being here with him, preoccupied with the quite shocking revelation. What was she doing here?  
As if noticing her looking, Wonder Woman started to speak.  
"We would like to ask you some questions. We can make sure you're telling the truth if you let us ask them," she said taking the end of her lasso in her hand. It started glowing. Even being irritated, cold, shaken and extremely tired, Lena Luthor subconsciously leaned forward. The lasso intrigued her. She heard of it before but never had a chance to research it, let along see it live.  
"This is the Lasso of Hestia. It stands for justice and freedom. Anyone caught in the lasso cannot lie," she continued, "If you let us use it on you, you will tell the truth to every question we ask."  
Lena exhaled shortly. That was quite an intriguing feature of the weapon. Which they wanted to use on her. Lena would cry if she knew how. Superman was so afraid to trust her; he could only come up with one way of being able to take her not as an enemy. No matter how much she's done to clear her name, that was futile, apparently. If the famous Superhero wouldn't believe her, how could she make people do?  
"I see," she replied with a cold smile. She was too tired for all of this. She just wanted to end it, no matter how humiliated she felt. Well, wasn't she already quite used to it? During all these months her name was dragged in the media in all ways possible. She looked at the Metropolis hero.  
"It must be quite inconvenient for you, I presume. Having me in danger, but not being able to see me as one of the humans like you swore to protect," she paused. "Having all this anger towards Lex, towards his name. He sure had a lot of anger towards yours. No wonder we ended up in this situation."  
"This is not...," started the hero.  
"I have conditions."  
Superman raised his eyebrows.  
"I answer only two questions, of which you will inform me before using the lasso," she briefly looked at Wonder Woman. "After that, I decide if I want to answer. And I will only answer to Wonder Woman, so I will have to ask you to leave," she said, pointedly looking at the Kryptonian. "I know you have a super hearing, however, Superman is famous for his nobleness for a reason. I can trust you, can't I?" Lena finished, with a glint in her eyes.  
Superman's jaw was set, but he didn't say a word. It was obvious that right now the battle was happening in his head. He looked at his companion, and Lena could have sworn she saw a subtle nod from the woman. Then the hero turned his eyes to Lena.  
"Agree. And you can trust me, as any citizen here."  
Lena didn't react. He agreed, and that was enough. If she was going to let them interrogate her like that, it had to be on her terms. She wasn't entirely sure Superman would fulfill his promise, but she didn't have much of a choice or care. The reason she wanted him to go was exactly that she couldn't trust him entirely. She couldn't trust him to not keep asking the questions after permitted two.  
Superman glanced at her one last time, nodded, and exited through the balcony. A little breeze whistled between them. She and Wonder Woman looked at each other.  
"Lena..."  
Nope, not her name. Lena was about to start shaking. She won't have it.  
"Shall we?"  
Sharp, loud.  
There was a combat between the brown and the green. The green won.  
"You can say no at any moment. I will ask you questions only having your permission," the hero started softly.  
"Very noble of you," Lena said, rounding the table, standing in front of the woman. The lasso was lazily glowing in her hands, reflecting in her eyes. Her irises became golden. She looked like a statue, the one that people worship and bring sacrifices to. Lena felt so heavy all of a sudden as if she was carrying a bag of stones on her shoulders. She leaned back against her desk, not quite sitting on it, but letting it support a part of her weight.  
"I mean what I say. You may not trust Superman, or me, but I believe in you. You have my trust, and you can do it if you want his, but no harm will go your way if you choose to refuse. You have my word."  
Lena shook her head.  
"I have your trust? That's interesting. Being a Luthor doesn't give you much of a choice with Superman. And as flattering it is to hear that I have your trust, it is unsubstantiated. Doesn’t sound more than some sweet words."  
"That is not true. I've seen your work and I see your eagerness to help. With every your invention you are making sure that every little detail is in its place and is being a force for good. That it can cooperate with people. That what Superman also wants. Every time saving the planet he gives people a choice to learn from their mistakes, and keep living."  
Lena didn't retort to that. She could argue about Superman's god complex, but it wouldn't bring them anywhere now.  
"To come up with any invention of yours, you had to believe, you had to hope, that it will be something worth creating, that people are worthy of hope. That was how you came up with an idea of nanobot operational programs and how to implement them efficiently. Your work gave people an opportunity to live, to make better choices, and I am sure it wasn't just based solely on solving a riddle," on this phrase Lena snapped her eyes at Diana, only to see hers glimmer even more. "To come up with such an idea, you had to believe that what you do will contribute to humanity in a great way. Whether your cooperation with Superman helps you or is worthy of something, it's for you to decide."  
Lena held her breath. It was too much.  
"You seem to know so much about me. Was getting into my bed a way to make sure I can be trusted?" she said, not changing the tone. Her mask was impenetrable. Diana's face seemed to freeze. Was there fear in her eyes? Was there guilt?  
"I ..." it was a first time Lena saw the woman at a loss, "I didn't know who you were last night."  
The CEO set her jaw. It was threatening to start trembling. Lena didn't know what to believe and had no other questions to ask that wouldn't sound desperate. She folded her hands instead.  
"What questions do you have to ask?" Lena said with a sigh. Wonder Woman looked at her for a second, not answering. Then she took a little step back.  
"Just the simple ones. Are you in favor of your brother's exploits and do you play any role in his plans."  
"That'll do. Although, I remember answering them already."  
The heroine stepped closer, lasso almost touching Lena. She was trying her best not to flinch away.  
"When you touch it you will feel the warmth. When I ask you a question, you will feel the urge to answer, to answer the truth. You will not be able to lie, but if you resist, you will feel the burn," the hero instructed her quietly, looking for a confirmation.  
Lena nodded. She held out her hand, palm up. Diana laid the end of golden lasso in her hand, making a loop around Lena's wrist. The shorter woman gasped at the touch. It was indeed warm, bringing some tingling feeling. Her heart started to race, it's beating resonating in her ears. Besides, Diana was standing extra close, watching her intently. The situation became involuntarily too intimate all of a sudden.  
"Did you really not know?" Lena heard herself asking, not knowing what compelled her to do so. It came out so vulnerable. Did this lasso have other abilities?  
Diana looked at her yet again, with this inscrutable look, but Lena didn't have to explain more - the taller woman understood what she meant.  
"Yes, I didn't," Diana said, softly, "That was a coincidence."  
Lena let out a shaky breath.  
"Not like I can check if it's true."  
"It is true. I am sorry," Diana smiled at her, sadly. "Ready?"  
No.  
"Yes," answered Lena, not averting her eyes from the woman this time.  
She answered no to both questions, unsurprisingly. The feeling of lasso was incomparable; it was as if you were wrapped in warmth in its pure form when you were answering the truth. Lena was wondering what would happen if she tried to lie, or resist, but she had no will to check it now.  
When Diana took the lasso away Lena felt dizzy a little bit. She might have slumped but was prevented from it by the strong hand. Yet again, Diana didn't let her fall. Lena hated the whole situation.  
"You didn't mention there were side effects."  
"It's because you're tired," the taller woman answered, gently rubbing her shoulder.  
Lena instantaneously straightened her back, backing away from the touch. Diana's hand slipped off. She felt dizzy again, but she was steady enough to get through it now. She was coming to a dangerous zone of letting their conversation become personal. It was hard to keep the façade, considering the nature of the revelations happened between them, but that is why she had to try even harder to set the records straight. Lena equalized her breathing. Diana was simply standing there, waiting for the CEO to recover. Lena felt strange around her. Guarded, but desperately wanting to shake the walls off. These stupid superheroes and their effect on people. Lena cleared her throat.  
"Well, I suppose I've passed the test."  
Diana was still pretty damn close to her.  
"If I had known it was you yesterday, we wouldn't have spent the night together," Diana frowned a little, hesitating to continue. "But only because that would mean me lying to you later."  
Lena’s breath hitched, as she got surprised at the drastic change of the subject.  
"Indeed, you are just simply a curator of antiquities who forgot to mention she's a part-time world savior." Lena looked at the heroine pointedly.  
"So as you forgot to mention that you are a CEO of a billion-dollar company."  
"That's hardly the same," she countered. They stayed in silence for a while. It seemed like whenever Lena was determined to be standoffish, Diana was able to magically ruin her plans. She was looking at Lena with such a kind look, that made her feel a lump in her throat again. It was a look of concern, softness, and curiosity. Completely suffocating.  
"I wish you goodnight, Wonder Woman. I have another long day ahead tomorrow," she managed to say.  
"I will not keep you any longer. Good luck with tomorrow's ceremony." Diana said, finally stepping back.  
The CEO just nodded. Even though all she wanted is just go home and sleep, she caught herself feeling like she didn't want this to end, whatever this was. Felt like they had something to finish yet. The feeling was unsettling. Wonder Woman started walking towards the balcony door when Lena said.  
"Wait."  
Now they were standing facing opposite directions. Diana turned her head in CEO's way, questioningly.  
"Lex was one of the most intelligent humans on earth, and in his head the intentions behind all the monstrosities were good," she started, "But his problem was his fear, and where it took him in the end. Fear, even within the noblest people, has the ability to corrupt. And from what I can see, Superman is afraid. It is not me he is afraid of, of course not, but I can see the fear behind his actions."  
Diana leaned a little to her side.  
"Superman doesn't consider himself the authority of all humanity. That is why I am here too."  
Lena smiled, bitterly, looking up at the woman.  
"This time."  
There was no question she had a point there, she knew it. Maybe she was too harsh on the Superhero, but it was the only way to go with a man of such power. She wasn't trying to bring down the Kryptonian, but she had to be realistic. It was her best feature, and she couldn't just bail on it. She had to be realistic in every situation, and she wasn't going to just agree with Wonder Woman's judgment. She was already influenced by the... whatever, which made her falter today. She had to leave her stranger Diana in that bar on that day. This woman she was facing now is Wonder Woman, a hero, who had to be an entirely different person for her. She was someone she had to work with, not someone she could remember the taste of. The one thing that she was good at, other than being realistic, was her ability to compartmentalize. Thus, Diana had to be left in this morning, and this woman was someone she has just met. Lena looked at the demigoddess dispassionately, thinking she could do it. She just had to keep this image of a hero in whole her armor, detaching it from the human that was inside of it. She could do it.  
"Goodnight, Lena Luthor." Wonder Woman finally said, leaving through the balcony door, creating a little wind.  
She still smelled of Lena's shampoo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry?


	3. Chapter 3

She took a glance at herself in the mirror. Looked neat but tired. The previous night had gotten her all worn out, but one couldn't tell, not unless looking closely. Lena's drank two cups of coffee already and even got her assistant to bring her some salad for breakfast, still not having a thing in her fridge. She might have to tell Jess to fill it with some food too. Lena Luthor desperately needed more time, finding herself running out of it every day. She sure had to create a doppelganger soon enough. It wasn't like she couldn't figure out how, if she'd really put her wits to it.   
But for now everything went by the plan, and she's already gotten dressed up for the event. The green blouse sat well, although she tried to straighten it up anyway. Green always was her color. "It matches your eyes", her mother used to say. Well, everybody in her family used to. It was a perfect match, and they all liked perfect.

_"Do you like it?" she was standing in front of her brother, wearing a long emerald dress. It was hugging her perfectly, and was decent enough, at least for her mother, revealing just a little of Lena's back. They were getting ready to the charity event their mother was organizing this year. And the whole Luthor family had to be there to be seen as a wonderful, close-knit family. So pretentious, Lena gritted her teeth every time she thought of it._  
 _Lex raised his head from the phone, looking at her appraisingly. Next came a smile._  
 _"You're absolutely beautiful," he said, straightening up. They were in the boutique in Metropolis, the one Lillian send Lena to pick her dress._  
 _"Am I, again? It doesn't help when you say it every time."_  
 _"Well, there is nothing I can do! You look gorgeous in every each one of them," Lex replied, shrugging charmingly. "But, honestly, you could go in sweatpants and a hoodie and be the most beautiful person there."_  
 _"I think mom has a different opinion on that," Lena replied, arms crossed._  
 _"And you're such a good daughter, so obedient," he waved at her._  
 _"That's right. That's why Lillian declared me to be a complete disappointment when she'd seen a B minus on my Latin paper the day earlier."_  
 _"Well, Lena, B minus and on Latin, what a shame..._ vae victis _," he giggled._  
 _"Oh, shush it, ignoramus. I remember your shameful calculus grades," she looked down at him pointedly._  
 _"No, you don't!" he cried._  
 _"Oh, I bet you wish you could erase my memory of that one," Lena laughed, gracefully settling on the couch her brother was lounging in. He glared at her, then rolled his eyes. Lex could be such a baby when it came to his ego. And his ego quite often rotated around his achievements. But quickly enough his demeanor had changed and he turned to her with a wide smile._  
 _"Let me deal with mom. I can wear a hoodie too, if you like, with those horrible sports trousers you resent so much..."_  
 _"Those are hideous."_  
 _"... so you won't have to get all the blame."_  
 _She laughed at that, imagining the way they'd look together among all those plutocrats. The perfect Luthor offsprings in all their glory. Lillian would be furious._  
 _"Oh, I doubt that," Lena sighted, "Mother will give you a reprimand, at worst, but I'll get all the scolding."_  
 _He shrugged dismissively at that._  
 _"Don't tell me you're afraid of her scoldings."_  
 _Lena rolled her eyes because obviously, she wasn't. But she still had a point, which made her feel a slight pung in her chest. She was fully aware that Lex was obviously her mom's favorite, but it still hurt sometimes a bit. Lex seemed to notice her lull because he scooted closer to her._  
 _"She'll get over that," concluded her brother, looking fondly into her eyes, "There's no other choice, you see. She simply has no time to admonish her kids these days," the last phrase was said a bit bitterly._  
 _And that was true. Lena hadn't been spending much time with her mother anyway, but lately, it shrank to almost nothing. If you don't count emails, text messages and short phone calls._  
 _"The corporation keeps her more than busy," she took a long breath. She had mixed feelings about her mother being so distant. Sometimes Lillian seemed to be like a normal mom, soft and kind, spending some time with her children, talking to Lena with this caring voice. Especially around Lex. They even had normal intimate conversations about their feelings and worries. Even if not deep, then at least acknowledging them. Lena liked that, liked this humane she felt from her mother when she looked into her eyes in these moments. But Lillian didn't like even to look at her daughter most times and lately, in particular. Now Lena wasn't expecting anything much from her, but civility. So, she guessed, those were the terms of their mother-daughter thing now. And that was the other side of their relationship coin. Lena felt much better when her mother wasn't around since she would get a cold shower from her on average. Without her presence she could breathe freely, letting go of constant anxiety of what kind of attitude she'd get from Lillian this time. Still, no matter how complicated her relationship with her mother was, Lillian was working hard and needed her children to support her in this. Which meant that Lena had to conform. She turned to her brother, who seemed to zoom out._  
 _"Anyway, I still need to pick the dress."_  
 _Lex snapped back to reality with an easy smile._  
 _"Pick the one you like. By all means, you look great in all of them," he said with a nod. "This one, however, suits you especially. Matches your eyes." her brother pointed his finger at her._  
 _"I, actually, like this one most, thank you very much," she said, looking down at herself and then looking back at her brother with a mischevious glint, "You are of some use to me, after all."_  
 _Lex just scoffed in response._

"My brother's serving 32 consecutive life sentences. I guess I shouldn't be surprised there isn't a bigger turnout."  
"You're taking an awful risk, going ahead with the renaming ceremony with your life in danger," persisted Kara Danvers. Lena was about to give a speech, but the reporter had another idea. Anyhow, she wasn't able to stop Lena by stating the facts the CEO was fully aware of.  
"I won't have a life if I can't make this company into something positive. All it will be remembered for is Lex's madness."  
She heard the reporter sigh in frustration but was already walking away from her, up to the podium. Lena stood still, facing the people in front of her. They were reporters, businessmen, CEOs, activists and, she guessed, some onlookers. Nothing she hasn't done before. She braced herself and took a deep breath.  
"I want to thank you all for coming."  
Lena Luthor had to believe that people could see her past her brother's deeds. Superman couldn't trust her, but maybe, just maybe she had a better start with the crowd. They were all looking eagerly, either trying to see if there's a devil in her too or believing in her cause. It didn't matter, though. Lena Luthor knew what she could control and what she couldn't. But she was god damn sure she had all the power to increase her chances.  
"My brother hurt a lot of good, innocent people. My family owes a debt, not just to Metropolis, but to everyone. I intend to pay that. By renaming my company L-Corp, we will usher in a new age of cooperation and community. Together, we will chart a brighter future."  
And it was brighter indeed.  
Sudden flares of two explosions smashed the L-Corp slab behind her. The wave pushed her hard, and if it wasn't for a podium, she'd definitely fall. It rammed into her side painfully, but she was still standing. Lena leaped forward only to have another blast rattle right next to her. Bombs were going off everywhere, creating an utter madness. People were screaming, falling down on the asphalt, running over each other. It was chaos.   
Lena thought she saw a red flash in the air. So, the city's hero was already in action. Next, she could swear she saw a yellow flash of the lasso. How many city defenders decided to show up today?  
She didn't have much time to think more to that since there was another blast and pieces of building construction were crashing down like a crazy hail of metal and concrete. She had to be faster.   
Coming up the stairs the saw a familiar uniform.  
"Officer, thank God."  
But she was thanking the celestial entity too early. The officer wasn't going to help her. Not with his gun pointed directly at her face. Lena froze. Her head went blank. No life flashing in front of her eyes, nothing. So was it all a lie, or she had nothing worthy to remember?  
She didn't have time to decide because the death didn't come. There was a shot, but not in her way. A red-haired agent showed up right on time, grappling the man by the arm. Now he got distracted, but it wasn't enough. The agent was fighting him well, but he was stronger. They both lost their guns, the agent losing, deplorably.   
That won't do.   
Lena had to pull herself together. She needed something to defend herself with. Lex was always precise that she had to be smarter than her opponents if not stronger. And even if stronger. But he also taught her, that sometimes your wit and words can't help you much when you're cornered. That is when you had to find something you could defend yourself with. Something to fight back. Lena wasn't cornered, but she very much felt like it.  
She needed a gun. Well, she had a gun. There was one, laying on the ground, god knows where from. But it didn't matter, really.  
Moving particularly fast, she gripped the stock and raised the barrel. Sheer confidence started running through her veins, clearing up her head. "Officer's" broad back was perfectly situated in front of her. He didn't wear a bulletproof vest. Vae victis.  
She fired twice, just in case. That was enough.  
The "officer" slumped down, bleeding severely. The redhead simultaneously grabbed him to not let him fall, looking at Lena with some kind of a disbelief. But it didn't last long since she turned back to someone else. Lena exhaled and looked up. Now, instead of the bleeding man, she saw Supergirl, standing in front of her. The hero's facial expression was a mix of shock and relief. Lena thought that her own face must be not far from that look likewise.  
"Hey," she heard Supergirl saying very close to her, taking the gun from her shaking hand, supporting her by the shoulder. Lena didn't notice how much she was trembling now, being all steady and confident minutes ago. She's just shot a man.   
"I'm ok," she heard herself saying. Supergirl nodded, not releasing her grip. So, the hero didn't believe her, she thought to herself. Fair enough. Lena couldn't believe herself either.  
"Is someone hurt?" she heard somebody shouting. A familiar voice. Of course.   
Wonder Woman was running up to them, looking at Supergirl first, then seeing Lena. She could swear the woman's eyes got wider.  
"Only the bad guy," Lena grimaced. If it wasn't for Supergirl, she might have fallen already. The extortion of the runnings hits and falls started to wash over her. Supergirl must have sensed that because she firmly wrapped her hand around Lena's waist, somehow avoiding touching the already starting to throb side.  
"Supergirl, we need you," said the agent, still holding the bleeding man.   
"I'm ok," the CEO repeated, encouraging the girl to leave her. But the blond woman didn't seem to care.   
"Go help, I'll take her," offered Wonder Woman. Oh no, that sounds like a bad idea. But the hero was already coming closer and enclasping her hand over Lena's waist where Supergirl's was a second ago. They all were too fast, while Luthor struggled to even insert a sound of protest.  
"Thanks," said the blond, giving Wonder Woman a final look with a nod before taking off with the agents. Lena could have sworn the redheaded agent gave her her last worried glance.  
"It's fine, I can stand," the CEO said, not being so sure about it, but desperately needing to reestablish her composure. No one seemed to listen to her. Diana, gently but surely, was leading her away from the scene.   
"I just need to get you treated."  
"I wasn't shot."  
Diana paused, pursing her lips.  
"I know, Lena. And you've saved the agent."  
The CEO glared at Wonder Woman. Mostly for saying her name with such care than for whatever else. Maybe also being completely pressed to her side, her scent replacing the ones of the burning surroundings, spreading shivers down Lena's spine. Could be another reason.   
"Well, she saved me. Had to return the favor at least."  
Diana let out something like a chortle, then nodded, resuming their walk. Lena didn't comment it this time, just gritted her teeth. She was still hyperaware of the proximity of the hero, which would make her very much uncomfortable if she wasn't actually thankful for the support deep inside. She knew she could have made it herself if she contemplated the idea of getting medical help, but it would probably take a lot of her strength.   
"Hey! Over here," Wonder Woman called out, remaining Lena in a strong grip. Apparently, she was leading her towards an ambulance where the paramedics were already helping some injured people.  
"I'm not injured," the CEO tried again. But she couldn't do much about it since Diana's grip was adamant. How hadn't she noticed how much strength the woman had when Lena first met her? The woman must be very skilled in pretending to be human.  
"She's been hit by the blast, make sure she's checked," said Wonder Woman to a man in blue.  
"Of course ma'am. Thank you very much, ma'am!" the man was torn between a professional attitude and an awe. They all were used to Supers, so he wasn't that bad, but Wonder Woman was something new and exciting. Nevertheless, he helped Lena to sit down and started attending to her immediately.  
"Don't let her go before being properly checked," she noted to him, giving the light squeeze to Lena's shoulder. She got another glare from the CEO in response.  
"Of course," he nodded vigorously.  
Wonder Woman smiled at him, took a last glance at the shorter woman and ran away, hurrying to help the others.   
The only thing Lena could do now is to watch her go and be checked by the medics.

After a long day, Lena Luthor was finally going home. It was over. And it wasn't.  
Now it was clear that it was indeed Lex behind the attacks. Corbin, the "officer", said it himself. Lex wanted her dead.   
This thought couldn't quite settle. Lena was sure that if he would ever try to kill her, he'd do it by himself and only because of one of his conniptions. It was a more likable outcome. He was always very gentle with her when they used to play in the mansion, often left alone to explore. There could be only a conflict or an accident when the boy got too carried away with his game, was too much invested into his imaginary worlds, so that could have ended up badly for Lena. It wasn't anything serious though, even then. A bruise or a sprained wrist when they were playing tag and he'd imagined himself to be a bounty hunter. Or a sword fight (using sticks, at first), when his eager lunge would graze her arm. It wasn't anything serious. Perhaps only once, when he didn't take into account that Lena was too small to climb up that steep cliff to collect those weirdly shaped rocks Lex had seen from the beach. Didn't he dive right after her when she slipped and fell right into the freezing water? Except, who knew where his crazy went since he was jailed, what kind of dark thoughts overcame him in that cell. Lex was hardly reachable within the proximity of his family, now he was just left to be by himself with himself. The worst company one could have. Alone with a monster.

Lena stopped her train of thoughts, feeling sick all of a sudden. The word monster stuck to her like a dirty stain. Why couldn't she just make him a monster in her head not feeling like she's betraying her brother? The rest of the world thought of him so without a doubt. She has already betrayed him, of which he was so kind to remind her in each of his letters. She was sure about her decision. But every time it came to her thinking about him, she found herself... uncertain. As if there was some part of her, that had to defend him. To cling to his humanity. Or to the memory of the man, who once was a caring brother for her. The man who would laugh into the face of danger, helping her go over all the obstacles that stood in her way. The man, who could smile kindly.  
The right side of her torso hurt. There was a large bruise appearing there, where she was jammed into the podium. And for some reason, it hurt harder when she thought of her brother. She carefully took off her blouse and her skirt, trying to not touch the bruised areas. Her outfit was completely ruined, belonging to the trash now. So much for being neat. She just dropped both garments near the bed, not bothering about it for now, or even taking a shower. Too little to care. All she wanted to do now is to go into a deep dreamless sleep for the next 24 hours. Or, well, for as much as she could until tomorrow duties.  
Turning the lights off, Lena carefully tried getting under her sheets, but it didn't go without a hiss. He body was leaden, her head even more. She was wondering how it hasn't exploded yet with all this mess inside. Stretching out her limbs she tried to get as comfortable as she could to fall asleep instantly. All this exploration had to put her to sleep in no time. Slowly, the woman closed her eyes.  
As the darkness was settling in and the quiet was coming within it she started to notice the small sounds of the night. There was never a complete silence in her surroundings, as there was never one in her head. Despite all. There was one thought that was throbbing, painfully, with no remorse or sign to relent. Her brother tried to murder her, again. He just blew up the building and injured a lot of people in the process. He even sent a man to make sure the work was done. He wasn't sending her letters anymore, those were in the past. Those were too weak to send the message across, apparently. Or at least that was what he might have concluded. This had to set her free, had to make her let go of any emotion she had towards him. It had to work. If this doesn't work, what will?  
She knew she'll hear his voice tonight.


	4. Chapter 4

The bruises fade and the new days come.  
Back in her office, Lena was reading a Daily Planet issue "New Day for L-Corp" when the reporters appeared again. This time with much better news.   
"I wrote it because it's the truth. I was wrong about you, Ms. Luthor. I'm sorry," Clark Kent was smiling, perhaps even genuinely. He seemed like a person who smiles only if he means it. Lena was glad that even despite all tragic events and her life being in danger, something good came out of that. It was her initial goal, after all, to make this company stand for prosperity and development, hope and better future, leading it away from Lex's shadow. And, in a sad irony, the previous almost death experience (or better to say, experiences) sent by her brother did her a big favor in that.  
"Well, if I can make a believer out of Clark Kent, there's hope yet," Lena said, turning to Miss Danvers. Speaking of people with genuine smiles, "What about you, Ms. Danvers? I didn't see your name on the byline."  
Lena felt a strange feeling now, looking at the girl. She's seen her before, that's for sure, but now she thought she knew her somehow else. There was some strange familiarity in this girl, a mysterious one. Or Lena might have developed an attraction.  
"Uh well, like I said, I'm not a reporter," the girl said shyly. The CEO shook her head.  
"You could have fooled me. I hope this isn't the last time we talk," she said, pointedly. Lena was curious to figure out what was this feeling she had about her.  
"I hope not either."

And it wasn't indeed.  
Lena started seeing Kara more often than not since she actually had become a reporter. Their relationship strangely was leading to something of a friendly like, and it happened so naturally and unexpected that Lena wasn't able to register when she became so all comfortable around the woman. But it was very much Kara's personality that couldn't have made her feel otherwise. She felt at ease each time she came by, easy to connect. The girl was a ray of sunshine. Even if a stubborn one.  
"Ok, ok, I know you like your exquisite coffee shops, or wherever Jess brings you your fancy coffee from each time because she won't tell me, no matter how much I intimidate her..."  
"You? Intimidate?" Lena was on the verge of laughing. They were at her office again, Kara coming once more to interview her, and, apparently, to have a nice preliminary chit-chat, as it used to happen now. Sometimes the meeting was backed up with a small gift, like a bag of doughnuts, or a beverage. Lena hasn't eaten a doughnut since forever, but now she was getting used to having this highly saturated with carbohydrate pastry as a part of her meal from time to time. It wasn't that bad since Kara would eat most of those she brought.  
"Well, yeah... I can be quite intimidating!" Kara said, even making some kind of a confident posture to make the point. It was adorable. And somehow very familiar.  
"I'll make sure to inform my employes next time," Lena said solemnly.  
"Ah, you totally don't believe me! But believe me when I tell you, that your coffee stands nowhere close to Noonan's. I actually brought you a cup," she finished her speech placing the said cup on the coffee table. Lena took it with a grin.  
"Oh, you didn't have to."  
"No, I did, and you'll see why."  
"The best coffee in National City?"  
"The best one," Kara smiled widely, sitting on the couch next to Lena, sipping her own cup as if making a point. Lena rolled her eyes and finally tried hers. Well, Kara was right, because it even brought out of her a small quiet sound of pleasure after the first sip. Yet, of course, Kara noticed.  
"Told you. Miss Grant takes only the best."  
"I should hire you as my assistant," Lena said wistfully. That made the blond one blush a bit. She did that a lot.  
"Oh... well... I'm a reporter now," she said sheepishly.  
"And a good one," Lena pointed her finger at her, agreeing.  
"Yeah. I don't know. Snapper doesn't like my pieces that much, and I feel like I am failing him all the time."  
Despite all the shiny confidence, sometimes Kara could be very self-insecure about her work. It wasn't too noticeable, but from time to time the blond would seem very much anxious and nervous when it came to praising her. First Lena dismissed it as "first-day jitters", but now she was concerned. The CEO regarded her for a second.  
"People like it, and you really do a good job with your articles. Even when it's a fluff piece."  
The reporter groaned.  
"Oh, don't remind me. I feel like soon enough I will actually have to write about kittens. Not that I wouldn't like it," she smiled to herself, "But I want something more substantial."  
"Well, aren't you interviewing me today? Or I'm not a substantial figure anymore?" the CEO teased.  
"No! No, of course, you are, but that is not my merit. I mean, interviewing you isn't. He gives me the honor because of you because we are... um, well, you know," she stumbled.  
Lena raised her eyebrow with a sly grin. Kara laughed at that and waved her hands exasperatedly.  
"Because we have a connection," the reporter sighed, "So I am the best to get an interview with you, but not in a venal way of like, you know..."   
Lena decided to stop her from digging herself a deeper hole.  
"Because I am most comfortable around you," she finished with a soft smile.  
"Yes!" Kara exclaimed, then her eyes glimmering, "You are?"  
"Of course I am. I wouldn't let any other reporter argue with me about coffee for a half an hour without throwing them out," she said with a serious face.  
"But Noonan's worth it, doesn't it?"  
"It definitely does," Lena smiled, looking fondly at a girl. "You know using me as your way to get to more interesting pieces isn't a bad thing; god knows how many connections I had to pull to be where I am after Lex's trial. It is ok to use any help you get."  
Kara looked at her, her smile deflating, replaced with a little frown on her forehead.  
"I'm sorry," she said with a small voice. Lena wasn't following.  
"About?"  
"Well, about... That you had to go through that."  
Oh.  
"It's ok, Kara. It's in the past now," the brunette shook her head.  
"Yes, but I'm still sorry you had to," sighed the blond, "I know you loved Lex, and I remember Clark doing a hatchet job on you back then. You didn't deserve it."  
"He was just doing his job," Lena said, her smile not quite touching her eyes. She wasn't angry at Clark Kent despite all; he was one of the honest reporters out there, quite a decent one. Just not her favorite.  
"Yeah... I know he's a good reporter, the great even," Kara said slowly. Her facial expression changed a couple of times as if she was trying to figure out how to put her thoughts into words. Lena nodded encouraging, staying silent.  
"But I see where he didn't work well enough as a.. a human. And maybe as a reporter also. I want to be a good one and Ka- Clark is the one to look up to. But I still feel that there's something missing in my image when I see myself in his shoes. I wouldn't like to be a reporter who isn't willing to go far enough to get to the truth."  
The words, meaning well, brought Lena an unsettling feeling in her chest. It brought back some memories and unfinished conversations. And a tingling glow of The Lasso of Truth.  
"Believe me, sometimes even this urge can be very much twisted," Lena said, averting her eyes. Kara looked at her softly, feeling her unease. She was a very perceptive human being, the reporter. Too good for this world, Lena would say. Or maybe it was too good from the point of what Lena's world was like.   
Kara cleared her throat and smiled.  
"Well, I'm just saying that even though I really want to be a reporter, I guess I still need to figure out what does it mean to me."  
Her shoulders still weren't back up, but her look was much more confident now. Sometimes Kara reminded her of a golden retriever. A very smart golden retriever.   
"That's a good approach," the CEO replied, sipping her coffee, shoveling away her thoughts. "Shall we start, then?"  
Kara nodded.

So that was how it went for her these days, preoccupied with end-of-quarter financials and launching different unfinished projects. No more attacks from Lex, no more visitors like Superman or Wonder Woman. They both seemed to leave the city after all the events, needed somewhere else, leaving National City in the hands of their local hero, Supergirl. And Supergirl was pretty much preoccupied too.

In fact, the TV news was currently broadcasting that she was fighting some gang of robbers at the West National City bank. Lena wouldn't really pay any attention to that, especially this beautiful morning, free of any serious work, only answering emails and sipping coffee. Yet the next moment the simple robbery escalated to an alien weapon attack. The CEO turned on the sound of her TV and watched closely. Supergirl was smashed into the concrete by such a peculiar gun, which gave off a stream of purple emanation. The weapon was interesting, some kind of anti-gravity electromagnetic device, which was effective against the city's hero. And very much dangerous. Lena even stood up to come closer to the screen, when the blast hit the hero into a wall. When something is so powerful, it can knock Supergirl down, no one can be left unconcerned. She thought back to the events during her speech. If something like that took place back then, she wasn't sure things would have ended up well.  
That suspiciously seemed like something her brother would try to pull off. After all, a weapon that is able to stop a Kryptonian? She could imagine the glint in his eyes at that. Lex was in prison, but she just got the feeling he had to be involved. Lately, she felt every road led to him in the end.

That is how this Sanday evening Lena ended up in the L-corp building on the underground RTD floor, where she had her storage with some of the "Lex boxes". Lena had to go dig into several old files to get more info on that weapon. Those files in the "box" were just some stuff her brother left as unfinished, so the government had no interest in them. And Lena couldn't simply throw them away, knowing the value of such things. Deep down she knew it was very problematical, something she probably shouldn't do, but she had to shut that thought for now. She was a Luthor after all, and those don't give things up so easily.   
The weapon seemed alien, but simple, nevertheless. Lex had to have something on that. She hoped that with the help of her research team she'd get to some conclusion of how to create a countermeasure to the device. After all, no matter how alien it was the laws of physics were the same last time she checked. So it was nothing she couldn't handle. She just had to believe there was something to give her a valid hint to where she had to start with.  
And she wasn't wrong.  
Going through files she hasn't found anything about the weapon but stumbled upon a Black Body Field Generator project. Lena's eyes glimmered. That was something to actually work with.   
She took some of the Lex's blueprints and studied them carefully. These were some simple outlines of a draft, barely started. Clearly, Lex got more interested in the experiments with kryptonite at some point, abandoning many of his projects, sketches, and ideas. But what was worthless for her brother, could be very much helpful for the sister. She took a chair and sat down, preparing to spend all night in the lab. Despite being slightly tired she perked up at the idea of trying to build this thing.  
Lena just had to make it, and make it running. And after that, she hoped it'd be effective against the alien weapon. It had to according to the idea behind it. A lot of things were based on hope.  
But even if she did so, what's next? The device had to be in the proximity of the weapon to work and it wasn't like she could kindly invite the criminals to the lab, asking to bring along the weapons. Lena sat down, her gears turning, trying to come up with a plan. She had to find a way, and find it soon. Lena signed, frustratedly. She had no idea how to organize it all together, but she promised herself she'll take care of that in the morning. Her brain was too focused on how to build the device rather than how to build a well-thought-out plan of using it successfully. Now, she had to calculate all the power range it could support, fill in the blueprint, and list all the necessary materials she needed in order to start working. Then she could go on to figure out how to put the means to the ends. But, even before that, she had to make a lot of coffee.

Lena saw Kara in the distance, surrounded by the CatCo workers, busy with talking to someone, apparently. She came seeking for the girl, and it was nice to see her in her work environment since mostly they were to meet at the CEO's office. Kara looked much more confident, being in her element. Lena was slowly approaching the girl, who still hasn't noticed her. The brunette could see her face, reporter's facial expressions changing animatedly while speaking to a tall woman in front of her. She was so caught up in the conversation, Lena had to call her name.  
"Kara!"  
The girl stopped her intense speech and looked at the brunette in disbelief.  
"Lena! Surprise visit to Catco?" the reporter seemed nervous all of a sudden.  
"No, I'm here to see you, actually."   
"You are?"  
"Yeah," Lena chuckled, only now fully noticing the person Kara was speaking to. The chuckle got caught up in her throat. The Wonder freaking Woman stood right next to the blond. Well, Diana, this time. Smiling, beautiful, in civilian clothes. In a sleek dark blue dress, actually. Her hair was tied up in a chic simple low bun, her almond eyes looking sharp. Lena suppressed the urge to cackle like crazy. It was so bizarre to see her now, among all these ordinary people, being blended in their world. Diana still was outstanding among them, she had no need in armor to produce such an effect. Tall, elegant, godly even, she was definitely out of place. Lena's receptors got mixed up, not being able to differentiate in between the two hypostases of her. This woman was the one she had one night stand with, and the one who made her feel as vulnerable as possible with her Lasso of Truth. And more than anything the woman seemed to be inevitable. Lena Luthor had to mentally whiplash herself to not short-circuit.   
"Oh, good. I'm sorry, I have been swamped, even literally I'd say, but don't ask about that one, it's a whole story," Kara gibbered in a low voice, making Diana chuckle. "I guess it slipped my mind to call you back, I saw the missed call," then she noticed that the two brunettes were staring at each other, "Oh yeah, sorry, Lena, this is Diana Prince, she's my umm..."  
"Friend," Diana helped out.  
"Right. And this is Lena Luthor," Kara said gesturing at Lena, "Also my friend."  
Well, that was getting ridiculous. How many times they had to do this? It seemed like the "greetings" started becoming a habit of theirs. However, the CEO put on a polite smile and outstretched her hand, pretending yet again not to know the brunette.  
"Nice to meet you, Diana," she said, trying hard not to sound sarcastic.  
"Likewise," said the tall one with something like a conspiratorial smile. Lena almost rolled her eyes. Diana was definitely surprised to see her too but seemed more at ease on that fact. The CEO wondered what kind of business did Wonder Woman still have here, in the city, an especially here, in CatCo. And not to mention as a friend of Kara Danvers. How many superheroes was Kara in such a close touch with? And how much did she know about her dark-haired friend?  
"So, to what do I owe your visit? Not that I am not pleased to see you, but now there's just so much work..."  
Right, Kara. Lena gathered her thoughts.  
"L-Corp is hosting a party this weekend. It's for the gala fundraiser for the Children's Hospital after that horrific attack on their new building. I was hoping you'd come."  
"Oh," the girl seemed to relax and warm up to Lena, "Of course I'll come. I'm honored."  
"It means a lot to me," Lena smiled. Then the other thought came up to her. If Wonder Woman were to be here, she could use an opportunity.  
"And your friend can come too," she looked at Diana, "If you want to."  
Now the taller brunette was definitely looking at the CEO with a surprise. But Lena didn't have time to really think about it since she genuinely needed her to come.   
"Of course, that'll be an honor for me too. Thank you," the woman said, her eyes slightly narrowed. Lena would have liked to stay and see where it could lead next; maybe she'd find out something more about all these dots she was itching to connect, regarding this woman, but the CEO had to go on with her initial plan, and Diana's "yes" was all she needed for now.  
"Wonderful," Lena smiled, "Actually, I have another matter to discuss. But it's rather personal. Could I speak to you somewhere private?"  
Kara seemed surprised but nodded anyway.  
"Yeah, of course, let's go to my desk. I'll be back," she said to Diana, who was peculiarly looking at the CEO, giving Kara only a small nod.  
"See you at the party," Lena smiled back at the brunette letting Kara lead her the way. She could feel a pair of brown eyes burning a hole in her back. When they came to a halt and Lena made sure there was no one in a close proximity to them, she started.  
"I need to get in touch with Supergirl."  
"Wha.. Whoa, why do you need her?"  
"I must apologize, Kara, but it is also a personal matter. I have to discuss it with her. You are just the only one I know who can help me with getting in touch."  
That was a lie, but there was no way she's enlightening Diana about her plans.   
"Do I need to be worried?"  
Lena tilted her head and smiled sweetly at her friend. She was too good.  
"No, Kara, it's nothing. Just business."  
Kara looked at her, obviously wanting to add something, but apparently deciding against it.  
"Well, ok, I can help with that. Why so secretive, though?"  
"Am I not a CEO of the world's largest multinational corporation to be so," she said with a grin.  
"Ok ok, I see how it is," the girl laughed.  
"Thank you, truly. You're doing me a favor."  
The reporter rolled her eyes.  
"Aren't we doing each other favors all the time? What else friends are for!"  
"That's right," Lena chuckled, "Speaking of, that friend of yours seems a bit familiar to me. Pardon me if I am prying too much, but how do you know each other?"  
"Who, Diana?" the girl started to stammer all of a sudden. "Oh, I am sure you don't know her. She just has one of those faces, you know."  
"Right," the brunette said in amusement. Diana was many things, but surely not "one of those faces". Was Kara in love with the woman, or her blush could be attributed to something else? Yes, Kara was nervous when it came to her job, but this was something new.   
"Well, she's um, she works in a museum, antiquities expert, and I did an interview with her, you see, so that is how we've met," the reporter said, making a serious face, nodding. Lena raised her eyebrows but decided not to prod deeper for now.   
"I see. Well, I hope to see you two very soon. Thanks again, Kara."  
"Always. And I'll call you back later. When I am able to sort through all the mess."  
"Looking forward to it. Goodbye, Kara."  
"Bye," said the girl.  
Lena gave her friend the last warm look and spun on her hills back to the elevators.   
Things were getting interesting. First of all, she'd thought that Wonder Woman was here in National City only to interrogate Lena, but it's been a week and she's still here. Second of all, the heroine knew Kara, and even though it wasn't too odd since Kara is a reporter and has already had a superhero on her friend list, their friendship outside of Diana's other identity was nagging at Lena's brain.   
And third of all, her plan seemed to gather the momentum.


End file.
